17 – Partnerships for the goals

Partnership for Sustainable Reconstruction and Democratic Urban Planning
February 4, 2026
The ICLD partnership between Jönköping and the Ukrainian city of Berdychiv addresses a complex challenge: how can sustainable, inclusive and democratic urban planning be developed in a context of ongoing war and reconstruction? The starting point for the cooperation is Berdychiv’s rapid population growth as a result of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the…
Partnership and governance for health and resilience
January 19, 2026
The ICLD partnership between Homa Bay County and Region Västerbotten has been a driving force behind the development of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on partnership and governance for health and resilience in relation to climate and the environment in the Kenyan Lake Region. The MoU has been signed by Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, and Busia…
Voluntary Local Review (VLR) of Klapmuts & Kayamandi Townships: Stellenbosch Municipality, South Africa
January 8, 2026
This report responds to the growing need for voluntary local reviews (VLRs) of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) progress at the municipal level. It presents the findings of a community-based assessment conducted in the informal townships of Klapmuts and Kayamandi, both located within the Stellenbosch Municipality of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. In line with…
Rebuilding Ukraine for all functional variations
November 11, 2025
As Ukrainian municipalities prepare for post-war reconstruction, accessibility and inclusion are becoming core concerns. The BUILDSUP project strengthens local capacity to plan and design cities that work for everyone, by introducing principles of universal design and sharing experiences between Sweden and Ukraine. The war in Ukraine has uncountable consequences, including the increase of people living…
Child-Focused Cities [CFC]: A Paradigm for Inclusive Urban Development
June 19, 2025
The Child-Focused Cities (CFC) initiative brings together children and youth inclusion in local democracy in line with the principles embedded in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). It reflects on why, when, how, where, and under what circumstances children and young people are recognised as political subjects and crucial role-players in…
Karlskrona’s Folk High School inspires ‘Silver Age University’ in Chortkiv
June 3, 2025
With the aim of providing older people and individuals with special needs the opportunity to continue learning and developing throughout their lives, the Ukrainian municipality of Chortkiv, drawing inspiration from Litorina Folk High School in Karlskrona, has launched what they call the “Silver Age University”. In the long term, they also hope to offer war…
Our Childhood: A toolbox for local governments fostering child/youth inclusion
April 29, 2025
Our Childhood toolbox aims to support local governments in their attempts to sensitise and include children and youth in local (political) affairs while pursuing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The toolbox enables long-terms, cross-sectoral collaborations for inclusion of children and youth in localising SDGs. It offers support to local governments and engaged practitioners in…
SDG Clubs – A Guide for Municipalities and Schools
April 28, 2025
This guide provides a step-by-step approach for local governments to create Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) clubs in schools, empowering youth to engage with local issues, practice leadership, and contribute to sustainable development through interaction with the UN’s Agenda 2030. It takes the reader through: The SDG Clubs Toolbox results from Kibaha Education Centre’s work within…
Voluntary Local Review of Klapmuts and Kayamandi Townships, Stellenbosch Municipality
February 4, 2025
Regional focus: Southern Africa / South Africa Time: January – November 2025 This SDG implementation progress report project follows up on previous ICLD research on conducting VLRs with a participatory methodology. According to this, participatory VLRs enable the process itself to contribute to democratic change and accelerate the SDG implementation. Abstract: There is an increasing realization that…
Kalix & Masaka United Against the Plastic Crisis
January 29, 2025
The ICLD-funded partnership project “Education for Mindset Change” between Kalix Municipality and Masaka City in Uganda has played a key role in transforming education for children and young people. By focusing on reducing the impact of plastics and fostering sustainable communities, the collaboration between Kalix and Masaka aims to inspire and empower future generations. From…